Adab 1: Prohibitions of the Tongue Lecture 6 1
Prohibitions In previous lectures we have established the grounds for why this book is important. Dangers of the tongue Rewards and benefits of the silent one etc. It is important to understand the concept of principles. One of the principles of the body parts, is that we have to be careful.
Importance of having principles In the Quran we have the example of the people of the Sabbath. و س ئ ل ه م ع ن ال ق ر ي ة ال ت ى ك ان ت ح اض ر ة ال ب ح ر إ ذ ي ع د ون ف ى الس ب ت إ ذ ت أ ت يه م ح يت ان ه م ي و م س ب ت ه م ش ر ع ا و ي و م ال ي س ب ت ون ال ت أ ت يه م ك ذ ل ك ن ب ل وه م ب م ا ك ان وا ي ف س ق ون 7:163 ف ل م ا ع ت و ا ع ن م ا ن ہ وا ع ن ه ق ل ن ا ل ه م ك ون وا ق ر د ة خ س ني. 7:165 They cast their nets on the Friday and did not fish on a Saturday. In practise you could say they did not fish on Saturday and therefore did not break the rules. But they had dirtied the core principle Thus we should acknowledge the principles of the tongue before looking its into the rules
Line 11
Line 11 This is referring to something that is blameworthy in the Shariah as being positive, and also referring to something that is praiseworthy in the Shariah as negative. Example from Mawlud commentary(making a negative thing seem positive) If the government imposes taxes onto of the Zakat, then this should not be referred to as the ح ق ا ل س ل ط ان and it should be known as a tax By referring it as a right and acceptable you have made what is negative positive
Line 11 Another example: If someone is backbiting, and is told do not do ghiba. ا م ن ٱلظ ن إ ن ب ع ض ٱلظ ن إ ث م و ال ت ج س س وا و ال ي غ ت ب ب ع ض ك م ب ع ض ا أ ي ح ب ر ح يم 49:12 ي أ ي ہ ا ٱل ذ ين ء ام ن وا ٱج ت ن ب وا ك ث ير أ ح د ڪ م أ ن ي أ ڪ ل ل ح م أ خ يه م ي ت ا ف ك ر ه ت م وه و ٱت ق وا ٱهلل إ ن ٱهلل ت و اب Allah equates backbiting to eating the dead flesh of a your brother If the person says I am doing constructive criticism, then they are now referring to a negative thing in the shariah as positive and this is considered a prohibition of the tongue With regards to backing people also say I m just speaking the truth and speaking truth is from Islam. Speaking truth is positive and they are using something positive to refer to something that is negative
Line 11 - Using language Sheikh Rami said he heard someone referring to غيبة as scientific evaluation. Using language to alter the nature of an act is quite common everyday life especially in politics. Governments will refer to murder in their country as murder, but when war acts are committed they refer to it as cost of war or collateral damage. By calling it this people are able to accept the crime, it makes the act more acceptable and palatable These are examples where people construct words and statements that change the nature of the sin.
Line 11- More examples Interactions with opposite gender: Dawah or just having good adab- Dawah and good adab is positive, but talking to oppositive gender outside of the halal is not. Bringing forward claims to justify the haram What examples can you think of?
Line 11 - Something positive as negative ك ت س م ي ة الو ر ع و س و س ة و ح ل م ذ ال Referring to someone who is trying to stay away from doubtful matters as being possessed or mentally unstable Referring to someone who is kind and gentle as being weak A brother is trying to grow a beard and someone tells hims his beard is untidy Referring to Islamic women s clothing as oppressive or backwards
Line 11 - Why Mawlud made this the first prohibition? Mawlud has written other books like the purification of the heart. In it he organises the diseases of the heart in alphabetical order Sheikh Rami reflects and says that the reason why this prohibition is first is because it seeks to undermine the shariah, and one a person has done this he بدعي becomes a As an example if someone justifies backbiting, then they have altered the status of the crime. This is considered the very definition of a innovation. If a person backbites and does not justify his action, then this is one level of sin. If another justifies his sin then he has a hard time returning. This is a reminder to the power of language. Once you utter something it often cements the idea. If you say I cannot do this..this is too difficult you will continue to believe that
شريعة Line 11 - Altering the If a person for example is not praying, and is missing prayers then he is sinning. If a person however begins to use language to bring reasons as to why he does not need to pray: He has referred to something as sinful as praiseworthy He has altered the law He will have a much harder time coming back to the path إذ ا ا خ ب ر ت أن الج ب ل ق د ز ال ف ص د ق و إذ ا ا خ ب ر ت أن الب د ع ي ق د ر ج ع ف ال ت ص د ق If you were informed that a mountain has moved then believe it, and if you were informed that an innovator has returned then do not believe that This is just to highlight the difficulty of those people who use language to justify their position in returning from their sins Most deviant sect in the religion made errors of language and interpreted things incorrectly. By doing so they altered the law Some criminals you will find, will justify their crime, and hence will continue doing it
Conclusion Language is a precious gift. Impure hearts, will try and justify their wrongdoings Once words, reasons have exited the mouth it is likely that you will continue sinning and will not return. This touches on speaking on things without knowledge, guessing etc
Speak good words أ ل م ت ر ك ي ف ض ر ب اهلل م ث ال ك ل م ة ط ي ب ة ك ش ج ر ة ط ي ب ة أ ص ل ه ا ث اب ت و ف ر ع ه ا ف ي الس م اء (24) ت ؤ ت ي أ ك ل ه ا ك ل ح ني ب إ ذ ن ر ب ه ا و ي ض ر ب اهلل األ م ث ال ل لن اس ل ع ل ه م ي ت ذ ك ر ون (25) و م ث ل ك ل م ة خ ب يث ة ك ش ج ر ة خ ب يث ة اج ت ث ت م ن ف و ق األ ر ض م ا ل ه ا م ن ق ر ار (26) ي ث ب ت اهلل ال ذ ين آ م ن وا ب ال ق و ل الث اب ت ف ي ال ح ي اة الد ن ي ا و ف ي اآل خ ر ة و ي ض ل اهلل الظ امل ني و ي ف ع ل اهلل م ا ي ش اء [سورة إبراهيم اآلية: 27-24 ] This highlights the difference between a good statement and a bad statement. Kind words and bad words. Sheikh Ratib Al-Nabulsi - A bad word is like a husband who comes home and shouts at his family, the atmosphere in the house is destroyed, everything is dead. A good word is kind advice, spoken with good manners. The atmosphere in the house benefits We need to improve our conversations